1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to a carrying apparatus for golf bag pull carts, and/or golf bags, both mounted on the pull cart and apart from the pull cart This invention is to be used with vehicles that have a trailer hitch mount so that the carrying apparatus may be mounted on the trailer hitch at the rear of the vehicle or it could be used in one embodiment with a bicycle.
2. Description of Related Art
Many personal vehicles are bought new with a trailer hitch or have a trailer hitch added as an after market accessory. These hitches are commonly used for towing such things as trailers with small boats or personal water crafts, utility trailers, and the like. These trailer hitches come in two basic designs. One has a female mounting with a removable male member that mounts tile trailer hitch ball. In this type of trailer hitch, when the hitch is not in use, the male member is removed and the rearwardly projecting male member with the hitch ball mounted thereon is in storage. The second type of trailer hitch has a rearwardly projecting, permanently mounted, bar-like metal member. The trailer hitch ball is ordinarily secured on the bar-like metal member by means of a bolt hole in the metal piece and a bolt topped by a trailer hitch ball secured to the trailer hitch bar by a nut. The bolt is passed through the trailer hitch member and secured on the underside of the trailer hitch member by a nut and washer. Typically, the bolt with the hitch ball is removable from the trailer hitch member because some types of trailers require different size hitch balls.
It is well known that the trailer hitch mounting may be used for carrying things or for supporting things other than a wheeled trailer. For example, in Janek, U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,135, a cargo carrier assembly is shown mounted to a female hitch member on a vehicle. Cox, U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,740 shows a luggage rack with a wheeled transport mechanism pivotally locked to support mechanism and mounted to a hitch reception member on the vehicle.
Additionally, it has been long recognized there can be a need for specialized mechanisms for carrying golf equipment, including both a golf bag and a golf pull cart on a car. For example, St. Clair, U.S. Pat. No. 4,061,257 discloses a golf bag and golf pull cart carrier. This is constructed much like a bicycle rack in that it has a frame attached to the rear bumper of an automobile and a carrier rack that is separably attached to the bumper mounted frame. Hampton, U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,882 discloses a hitch mounting carrier for a golf pull cart. D""Angelo, U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,738 discloses a hitch mounting framework on which a golf bag can be secured in an upright position by means of adjustable belts and buckles and an upright support piece. Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,304, discloses an attachment for connecting a bicycle to a golf pull cart so that the bicycle may pull the golf pull cart behind the bicycle. The Smith ""304 patent allows one to use a bicycle to pull a golf pull cart Presumably, the operator could use the bicycle for transportation of the golf pull cart to the golf course or use the bicycle and the golf pull cart for movement around the golf course while actually playing a round. However, the Smith ""304 patent utilizes wheels built into the golf pull cart for wheeled movement of the device. Most golf pull carts have relatively small wheels that are designed for only movement at or near walking speed and only on relatively soft surfaces like turf or ground. For this reason, most golf carts have solid wheels that are puncture proof but are not readily adopted for bicycle speeds across rough pavement or uneven hard surfaces.
Despite the above outlined inventions, there is an unmet need for a device for golfers who wish to carry a bag or a golf pull cart, or a bag and golf pull cart together in their vehicle. Many golfers prefer to walk when playing golf rather than renting an electric or gasoline powered riding golf cart from the course on which they play. However, many of these same golfers prefer not to physically carry their bags across their shoulders by the customary bag strap. Many of these golfers will use a small, usually aluminum framed, foldable pull cart, especially designed and adopted for holding a golf bag. These golf pull carts are light, can be bought for less than $100.00, and make it possible for a golfer to walk while playing golf without the added effort or even drudgery of carrying his or her own bag.
However, these golf pull carts have drawbacks. A golf bag itself is a relatively bulky item oftentimes more than 50 inches in length when filled with clubs. Two full sized golf bags will go a long way toward filling up the trunk of a compact car. When two folded pull carts are added, it will fill up the trunk of almost any car, leaving little, if any, room for luggage or other items that the user might wish to carry. This can be a problem on even short trips from one""s home to a nearby golf course or a larger problem when one is traveling on vacation when the need to carry other luggage and materials is increased. Also in transporting a golf cart and a golf bag in the trunk of a car, the golf cart and golf bag will be ordinarily separately packed into the trunk. Ordinarily, the user will remove the golf cart from the bag and unfold it, then he will take the golf bag from the trunk, place it on the unfolded golf cart and secure it in place, usually by straps and clips. The process must be reversed when the round is over and the bag and cart are to be returned to the trunk. Additionally, an increasing number of people are living in a development that is built on or around a golf course. Oftentimes a person will live more than a comfortable walking distance to the golf course club house, but still within a short bicycle ride. If means could be found for transporting a pull cart and golf bag by a bicycle then that would make it possible, for those who live within easy bicycling range of their golf course, to avoid taking a car every time they wish to play golf.
Consequently, it would be an advance in the art to provide for an article carrying apparatus especially designed to carry both a golf bag and golf cart together, a golf bag alone, or golf cart alone that could be readily attached and detached to an existing trailer hitch attachment on the back of a vehicle or that could be adapted for towing by a bicycle. When in use, this apparatus would provide that the storage capacity, especially the trunk of the vehicle, would not be used by golf bags and golf carts and would provide ready access to the trunk of the vehicle as necessary. It could be used for short trips to a nearby golf course or could be used for long trips across the country. The apparatus can be equipped with a cover, both to provide protection for the contents of the carrier apparatus in inclement weather and to secure the contents within the carrier apparatus to prevent theft or vandalism. The article carrying apparatus could have detachable bicycle-like wheels so that the golf carrying apparatus could be readily attached to a bicycle by a curved rigid metal rod, which would enable one to ride a bike to the golf course simultaneously towing the golf bag and/or golf cart.
The current invention is a trailer hitch accessory device designed to carry a golf walking pull cart together with a bag or either item individually. This invention has means for attachment to a trailer hitch either the female type receiver or the permanently mounted bar type trailer hitch. For a female type receiver it will simply be an appropriately sized male bar member to slide within the female receptacle. On the bar type hitch it will be a bar member to fit over the hitch bar for attachment to the hitch bar by means of a bolt and nut. Distal from the end of the trailer hitch attachment is a framework with a generally cylindrical receiver fixed thereon. The cylindrical receiver is appropriately sized with appropriate slots so that a golf bag may be secured therein or a golf cart may be secured therein or a golf bag attached to a golf cart may be secured therein. It is anticipated in most applications the golf cart and bag will be attached together, the golf cart folded appropriately, and the folded golf cart with the attached golf bag placed within the cylindrical receiver. When transporting the golf bag and cart short distances, the receiver will be open and uncovered. A locking cover could be supplied which will secure the golf cart and bag within the receiver. This serves a dual purpose of protecting the golf bag contents and the golf bag from theft or vandalism, while also shielding it from the elements. If the invention is to be used for short trips from the owner""s home to the golf course, the receiver will be open. However, if the bag is to be transported for long distances, like from home to a vacation spot where overnight travel may be required or the car may be left unattended, then the cover will be used and locked into place. This device may be made for receipt of one golf pull cart or golf bag or a combination thereof, or there may be more than one cylindrical receiver mounted thereon for receipt more than one golf pull cart and golf bag. In one embodiment of the invention the device will have a means for moving the cylindrical receiver away from the point of attachment to the hitch, so that access to a trunk or rear hatchway door will not be impeded by use of this device. In another embodiment, pneumatic bicycle-like wheels may be attached to the device so that the trailer hitch receiver may be used to attach the device to the back of a bicycle so that it may be towed by an operator of the bicycle short distances, usually from the home of an owner who lives at or near the golf course where the clubs and cart will be used.